Hard work starts now for UAE's World Cup 2018 bid, says Esmail

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  • Ahmed Khalil (r) says past achievements now count for nothing.

    Diligent defensive midfielder Khamis Esmail has declared there can be no slacking off from the UAE if they are to topple Asia’s heavyweights and secure a second-ever entry into the World Cup.

    The Whites progressed into the third and final qualifying round in confident mood on Tuesday, snapping a seven-match losing streak against Group A winners Saudi Arabia with a 1-1 draw.

    When the clashes between the continent’s 12 best teams begin in September, four automatic places for Russia 2018 will be up for grabs.

    To attain one or an eventual inter-confederation play-off berth, Al Ahli star Esmail insists standards must continue to be raised by a maturing side.

    He said: “It was a good result to qualify for the third round, but now we have to work more as we have to beat the best. Now, we have very strong games ahead.

    “They’ll be even stronger than these games (in the second round). We have to work even more to make the World Cup.

    “Now we have to concentrate and work even more. The teams we will face will be more dangerous and even stronger than the ones we faced in the second round.

    “Every player wants to play in the World Cup. Now, we are very close to the World Cup – Inshallah, we do it.”

    Coach Mahdi Ali’s charges have emerged as a team to fear. Strong displays at the London 2012 Olympics, victory at the 2013 Gulf Cup and last year’s third-placed finish at the Asian Cup show their quality.

    But Ahli striker Ahmed Khalil – who is second-top scorer in the AFC process with 11 goals – refused to dwell on the past as he aimed for a bright future.

    He said: “I think this time, we have to focus on the next round only. We do not want to care about what we did before.”

    A potentially tense bid to become one of the four-best runners-up from the eight groups dissipated by kick-off in front of a 32,325-strong Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium crowd on Tuesday, as results elsewhere all but put the UAE through.

    Despite the sting being taken out of the clash, the hosts impressed in responding to Taisir Al Jassim’s superb volley to secure a well-earned point thanks to the extraordinary Omar Abdulrahman’s blistering leveller.

    “Saudi Arabia are a very strong team,” Esmail added. “They came here and it was easy for them, as they had already qualified.

    “We had pressure to qualify. But Alhamdulillah, we put in a good performance and we qualified.”

    Forever a stickler for detail, coach Ali used his post-match press conference to declare he wanted full control of summer training ahead of the resumption of competitive international action.

    He said: “I made a mistake personally in giving the clubs the chance to prepare the players in the summer.

    “I don’t underestimate the effort of the clubs.  I just want to say each club has its style in the preparation. Next time, we have to make the preparation better because the qualifying period will be in the summer – we will not make the same mistake again.”

    “I hope the team will get back to its identity in their performance.”

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